Beloved Black Celebs We Will Watch Regardless of What They Are Starring In

There is no such thing as a bad Denzel Washington performance. Whether he’s kicking ass in “The Equalizer,” or delivering an acting masterclass in “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” he can do literally anything and make us believe it. His name is enough to get us excited about the “Gladiator” sequel we didn’t know we wanted.

If you look up “star presence” in the dictionary, there will be a picture of Angela Bassett. The minute she comes on screen, she’s the most interesting person in the scene. Even if she’s just sitting there watching paint dry, we’ll be captivated.

What makes Courtney B. Vance such a fascinating actor is the way he make the audience care deeply about every character. When he’s in a project, you know you’re going to get interesting, layered, unique performance. And his emotions always feel authentic, even when he’s in something as wild as FX’s “Grotesquerie.”

The words “starring Viola Davis” are our cue to buy tickets or tune in. Her work is never boring or routine. Even when she’s in a big Hollywood franchise movie, she’s doing something new and elevating the project. Lately, she’s hit her boss era with a return as Amanda Waller in DC’s animated series “Creature Commandos,” and as the President of the United States in the upcoming “Air Force One” style action movie “G20.”

When they breakout in a big franchise like “Star Wars,” most actors follow that up with a predictable string of action blockbusters. John Boyega went in a different direction, focusing on memorable characters in interesting stories like “Detroit,” “The Woman King,” “Small Axe” and “They Cloned Tyrone.” He keeps us wondering what he’ll do next.

When you’re a special talent like Colman Domingo, who can sing, dance and act, there’s no shortage of new stories to tell. Even when those stories are familiar, he’s delivering them in captivating ways. With a recent run that includes “Rustin,” “The Color Purple” and “Sing Sing,” his unpredictable filmography has us on the edge of our seats waiting to see what’s next.

With unforgettable performances in the TV series “Underground” and “Lovecraft Country,” Jurnee Smollett has quickly become a fan favorite who never fails to deliver powerful characters who use their vulnerabilities as strengths. We have no doubt she’ll hold her own alongside Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult in the upcoming film “The Order.”

From his breakout role in “Fruitvale Station,” to leading the “Creed” franchise, it’s been so much fun watching Michael B. Jordan grow as an artist. Even though he still primarily sticks with action films, he makes sure they never feel predictable or formulaic. They’re always gifted with chracter development and a real story.

The “Euphoria” star has more than shown her range with work in the hit HBO series, popular musical “The Greatest Showman,” tennis relationship drama “Challengers” and as Peter’s love interest MJ in the MCU’s “Spider-Man” films. She effortlessly moves between comedy, drama, romance and even musicals. She’s endlessly intriguing and keeps audiences on their toes.

Idris Elba is brilliant at simultaneously scaring us and fascinating us. He often makes us root for the villain, and not just because it’s Idris playing them. He gives them depth beyond a dastardly plan, adding humanity to every role.

Kerry Washington plays a lot of “strong Black women,” but they’re never stereotypes or a monolith. Every character has her own unique experience, while also relating to female viewers. She’s telling our stories with compassion, authenticity and respect.

We’ve been watching Regina King since she was Brenda on “227" and she’s never disappointed us. The Oscar winner brings humanity and dignity to every performance, which allows audience to completely buy into the story.

From “Insecure,” to “The White Lotus,” to “How to Die Alone,” the way Natasha Rothwell perfectly blends comedy and drama delivers authentic stories, no matter how crazy the premise is. Her emotionally layered performance in “How to Die Alone” secured her place in our hearts and on our watchlists.

Most actors can’t navigate between over the top comedy and serious drama the way Niecy Nash-Betts can, but her talent is so wide-ranging, she makes it impossible not to notice. At this point, we know she can do literally anything and we’re ready to follow her to whatever universe she pops up in next.